Magnetic sensing element including pinned layer and/or free layer composed of [110] crystal planes-oriented Heusler alloy

• US 7,336,453 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Naoya, Saito, Masamichi, Ide, Yosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Wellington; Andrea
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garcia; Carlos E
• Application Number:
  US10/953,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20050074634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 360/324.12
• US Class Current: 360/324.12
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3116 Shaping of layers, poles or gaps for improving the form of the electrical signal transduced, e.g. for shielding, contour effect, equalizing, side flux fringing, cross talk reduction between heads or between heads and information tracks G11B5/3113, G11B5/245 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1107 Magnetoresistive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/115 Magnetic layer composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1193 with interlaminar component [e.g., adhesion layer, etc.]

Abstract

A magnetic sensing element using a thin film composed of an adequately crystallized Heusler alloy is provided. At least one of free magnetic layer and pinned magnetic layer includes a Heusler alloy layer. The Heusler alloy layer has a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure, in which equivalent crystal planes represented as [220] planes are preferentially oriented in the direction parallel to the layer surface. The Heusler alloy layer is disposed on a bcc layer having a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure, in which equivalent crystal planes represented as [110] planes are preferentially oriented in the direction parallel to the layer surface.

Claims

1. A magnetic sensing element comprising:

a multilayer film comprising;

at least one pinned magnetic layer in which the magnetization direction is pinned in one direction;

a free magnetic layer; and

at least one nonmagnetic layer disposed between the at least one pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer,

wherein a current flows in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the layers in the multilayer film, wherein at least one of the free magnetic layer and the pinned magnetic layer comprises a Heusler alloy layer,

wherein the Heusler alloy layer has a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure, in which equivalent crystal planes represented as [220] planes are preferentially oriented in a direction parallel to the surface of the layers in the multilayer film, and

wherein the Heusler alloy layer is disposed on a bcc layer having a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure, in which equivalent crystal planes represented as [110] planes are preferentially oriented in a direction parallel to a surface of the bcc layer.

2. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 1, wherein the bcc layer comprises a sublayer forming at least a part of the free magnetic layer.

3. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 1, wherein the bcc layer comprises a sublayer forming at least a part of the pinned magnetic layer.

4. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 1, wherein the bcc layer comprises a seed layer disposed under the free magnetic layer.

5. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 1, wherein the average grain size of the Heusler alloy layer in the direction parallel to the layer surface is at least about 50 Å

.

6. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 1, wherein a columnar crystal is formed, in which a crystal grain boundary formed in the bcc layer, a crystal grain boundary appearing in a cut surface in a direction parallel to the thickness of the bcc layer, and a crystal grain boundary formed in the Heusler alloy layer are continuous.

7. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 6, wherein the crystals of the bcc layer in the columnar crystal are substantially matched with the crystals of the Heusler alloy layer in an epitaxial state.

8. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 6, wherein equivalent crystal axes lying in the [110] planes or the [220] planes of the columnar crystal are directed in substantially the same direction between the bcc layer and the Heusler alloy layer.

9. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 1, wherein the Heusler alloy layer comprises a metallic compound having a Heusler crystal structure and represented by a composition formula X2YZ or XYZ, wherein X is at least one element selected from the groups consisting of Cu, Co, Ni, Rh, Pt, Au, Pd, Ir, Ru, Ag, Zn, Cd, and Fe;

Y is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Fe, Ti, V, Zr, Nb, Hf, Ta, Cr, Co, and Ni; and

Z is at least one element selected from the group consisting Al, Sn, In, Sb, Ga, Si, Ge, Pb, and Zn.

10. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 1, wherein the Heusler alloy layer comprises a metallic compound represented by a composition formula X2MnZ, wherein X is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cu, Co, Ni, Au, and Pd;

and Z is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Sn, In, Sb, Ga, Si, and Ge.

11. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 1, wherein the Heusler alloy layer comprises a metallic compound represented by a composition formula Co2MnZ, wherein Z is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Sb, Si, and Ge.

12. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer film further comprises at least one antiferromagnetic layer, wherein the at least one pinned magnetic layer is formed in contact with the at least one antiferromagnetic layer, and the magnetization direction of the at least one pinned magnetic layer is pinned by the exchange anisotropic magnetic field with the at least one antiferromagnetic layer.

13. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 12, wherein at least one nonmagnetic layer comprises of first nonmagnetic layer and a second nonmagnetic layer and wherein the first nonmagnetic layer is disposed on the free magnetic layer, and the second nonmagnetic layer is disposed under the free magnetic layer, wherein the at least one pinned magnetic layer comprises a first pinned magnetic layer and a second pinned magnetic layer and wherein the first pinned magnetic layer is disposed on the first nonmagnetic layer, and the second pinned magnetic layer is disposed under the second nonmagnetic layer.

14. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 13, wherein the multilayer film further comprises a first antiferromagnetic layer disposed on the first pinned magnetic layer;

and a second antiferromagnetic layer disposed under the second pinned magnetic layer, wherein the first and second antiferromagnetic layers pin the magnetization direction of each the first and second pinned magnetic layers in one direction by an exchange anisotropic magnetic field.

15. The magnetic sensing element according to claim 1, wherein the free magnetic layer comprises a first free magnetic layer and a second free magnetic layer, wherein one of the first and second magnetic layers comprises the Heusler alloy layer.